To Create a Perfect World
by Admiral Valerian
Summary: Aoi gives her life to for a chance to save Sakura. But in doing so she may have changed the fate of the world itself. [ON INDEFINITE HIATUS]


Disclaimer: I do not own Fate or SMT, and this work is merely a creative and absolutely non-commercial exercise on my part.

Summoning and Gifts

Aoi Tohsaka carefully traced out the summoning circle on the ground with chalk, before using her hand to carefully pour powdered amethyst on the lines. For starters, twin concentric circles, to represent the World. A triangle was next, bound within the outer circle but breaking through the limits of the inner circle, to represent Thaumaturgy. Next were three circles, one at each point in the space between circles and encompassing the points of the triangle; the circles were then marked with the arcane symbols for the body, the mind, and the soul. After that a smaller circle at the very centre of the configuration, marked with the arcane symbol for Man. Wavy lines were then drawn linking Man to his metaphysical components. Finally, protective script in the spaces between the circles of Man and the World, and the summoning circle was complete.

Tokiomi had gone to deliver Sakura to the Matou. Rin was out with Kirei. She had been left alone at home, supposedly to faithfully await her husband's return. But she knew enough about the Matou arts from her old friend Kariya's stories before he had left, and she feared the worst for her daughter. Worst of all, she knew there was nothing at all she could do about it, but hope for the best…until that morning when she discovered a mouldy old book in the Tohsaka library. Most of what was written in it was indecipherable, but one page described a ritual that could give her what she wanted, even if the warnings written towards the end foretold her demise. It didn't matter, for Sakura's sake she would walk into fire itself if need be.

Aoi stepped into the circle, standing over Man. It was written that a spoken incantation would not be necessary, and that a drop of blood would be sufficient to trigger the ritual. Part of her still felt uneasy about what she was about to do, warning her against this hellish ritual, but in her mind's eye she saw her daughter's smiling face, and Kariya's silent horror whenever he spoke of the Matou art. "For you, my dear Sakura, only for you." She whispered, biting down on a finger and letting the blood drop onto the circle, which immediately began to glow a hellish red.

Pain seared through her body, unused Magic Circuits flaring to life as they sought to defend against the immaterial fingers clawing into her mind. Fighting against her instincts, Aoi surrendered all resistance, opening the gates to her soul and latching onto the immaterial fingers to claw her way to the limits of the World. Her soul was immediately forced out of her body, and she found herself struggling to resist an unspoken urge to travel down a starlit tunnel guarded by a crimson shadow. Once again, her love for her daughter gave her strength, and she turned away, past dark abysses and brilliant chasms seeking for her answer. Gibbering predators that would normally have driven her mad chased after her, but she forced them away by sheer force of will. For an instant and an eternity at the same time, she sought her answer, but she couldn't find. But even as despair clutched at her immaterial self, a being of light appeared and encompassed her comfortingly, and offered a way to what she sought. Driven by need, she accepted…

…and was thrown against the wall as the summoning circle exploded. Time slowed and stopped, while bits and pieces of the floor hung in the air in apparent defiance of the laws of physics. Even Aoi was frozen tumbling forward to the floor, although she found she could still move her eyes and mouth.

"Now, there's no need to be impressed by such a small fraction of my power." A voice told her, and before her horrified eyes, the air shimmered and a mirror image of her appeared. It was a perfect replica of her, except for the face. The eyes shone as though with inner fire, and both the facial expression and the smile spoke of utter confidence, as though the being who took on her form was capable of performing the impossible and knew it as a fact.

"Are you here to mock my failure?" Aoi asked in a whisper.

"Hardly…" the being replied, adopting a boastful stance. "…I simply appear the way you wish to appear: as someone who could do whatever she wanted regardless of the consequences, or as one who could endure any loss without flinching. Still, I am quite impressed. To summon one as powerful as I without getting killed in the process, truly an impressive achievement…therefore, I shall hear your desire."

"Sakura…" Aoi hissed, her spirit renewed by the thought of her daughter. "…I want her to live!"

"She will live…" the being responded disdainfully. "…granted, it's not really what you Humans would call a life, but still…"

"Then give her power, anything, just…just don't let her suffer against her will…"

"Power brings ambition and desire in Humans…" the being countered. "…what if the path she chooses be dark and stained with fire and blood?"

"I believe in Sakura." Aoi stated emphatically. "I know she'll make the right choice when the time comes."

"Yes, she will." The being agreed, nodding. "But you know, there is always a price that must be paid."

"I know. I knew even before I began this ritual, but for her sake, I am willing to pay any price."

"Well said Human; the price for freedom can be no less than life itself." the being replied with a smile, stepping forward and gently giving her a kiss. As she felt her life fade away, and time resumed, Aoi's last thoughts were on her children. "_Rin, Sakura, I'm sorry. But this is the only way I could protect the two of you._"

* * *

Three knocks on the front door resounded across the Matou Manor and caused Zouken to pause dragging an unwilling Sakura from the kitchen to the basement. "Damn Byakuya…" the old man cursed. "…he's too drunk again to manage the house." Zouken activated the bounded field, seeking the identity of the people at the front. There was no response. Dismissing it as some sort of prank, he resumed dragging the girl to the basement. He had just reached the doors when knocks echoed across the manor yet again. And once again, the bounded field's sensor function turned up nothing. Grinding his teeth in irritation, Zouken set the bounded field on full defence mode before pulling Sakura down into the basement. The girl quailed at the sight of the worm pit, and tried to pull away, but Zouken held on with a strength deceptively not found in his aged frame. He was just about to throw her into the pit when someone spoke up from behind him. "You know, when someone knocks on the door, you're supposed to answer."

Zouken whirled in shock and surprise, letting go of the girl and causing her to fall to the ground. The man standing behind them was pale-skinned, and with long, shoulder-length, blonde hair combed back over his head. His eyes were mismatched, one blue and the other red. His nails were long too, painted black, and he wore a ring in the shape of a goat's skull on a finger. And above all, he was fashionably dressed; violet and white and obviously expensive business attire and yellow tie with probably just as expensive leather shoes.

"Who the hell are you?" Zouken demanded, inwardly shaken at how the man didn't appear to be affected by the bounded field.

"Oh where are my manners?" the man said, adopting a faux expression of apology. "My name, Magus, is Louise Cypher."

Now having introduced himself Louise turned to Sakura, ignoring Zouken's rants. "Hello there child, what's your name?"

"…S-Sakura."

"That's a nice name, it means cherry blossom doesn't it?" he asked with a smile, and when Sakura nodded, he chuckled and ruffled her hair. "It suits you that it does."

"I demand that you leave at once!" Zouken thundered, summoning his Familiars to him. "We have much work to do!"

"Yes, if you call this pathetic charade a 'miracle', that is." Louise sneered. "Unfortunately for you, this girl's mother asked me to ensure that she could live life as she wished. And I always live up to my agreements." Louise pointed a finger at Zouken, his eyes and face cold. "Your services are no longer required."

At those words, the ground around Zouken erupted with pale-skinned arms and long-nailed fingers clawing at him. As Sakura watched in horror, the struggling Magus was dragged ranting and raving down into fire-lit hole which sealed up behind him. "There's no need to feel any pity for him." Louise told her, pulling her to her feet and gently showing her the worm pit. "He intended to torture you there as part of a sick ritual that would last for years before ending with him consuming your body and soul. But don't worry; your mother gave her life so you wouldn't have to suffer that fate."

"Mother is…"

"Yes, I'm sorry but your mother is dead." Louise let the girl cry for a minute before continuing. "I know its harsh letting you know about it in such a way, but it's the truth. Always accept the truth, Sakura. Only by knowing and accepting it you truly become strong. Anything else leads to delusion and weakness."

"But, what will I do now?"

"Your mother wanted you to become strong enough to live your life freely. And I will teach you. Do you know about magic?"

"Yes, my father and sister are both magi."

"Good, but believe it or not, I will give you a power beyond the so-called 'magic' of people like them. First, hold your hands in a cupping fashion." Once Sakura had done so, Louise snapped his fingers, conjuring a small sphere of blue flame which he dropped into the space between Sakura's hands. The girl flinched for a moment, before she regarded the flames burning before her with awe and delight.

"It's so beautiful." She said happily, spreading her arms and letting the flame grow and play around her. "It feels powerful, and it follows my every thought."

"Yes, it does. That's your fire, Sakura. And my first 'lesson' to you: the Flame of Destruction."

Sakura however, adopted a thoughtful expression. After a moment, she finished the thought, and the blue flames flared and congealed to form a cat-like form. Bounding up to its mistress, the blazing cat rubbed against her, and she petted it happily. "Now then Sakura, what say you to ending that monster's legacy once and for all?"

Sakura looked at him, and saw Louise pointing at the worms in the pit. Looking at and hearing the squirming worms, her scrunched up in disgust and horror, knowing all too well that if things had not gone as they had, she would be lying among them getting violated against her will. Holding out a hand, her 'pet' dissolved back into flames that jumped back into her hand. With an expression of utter disgust, she blasted the pit with blue fire, causing worms to squirm agitatedly. More of them poured out of the walls, each of them bearing a fragment of Zouken's soul. Given time, they might have succeeded in rebuilding him, despite a large portion having been cast to a fate worse than death. But Sakura would not let that happen. Something inside her screamed not to do it, instinctively knowing that doing so would basically amount to destroying another Human soul, regardless of his deeds in life. But she didn't care; realizing that the flame obeyed her every thought, it exploded outwards, consuming the pit and flooding down into the tunnels reaching out. A circle of fire surrounded her, preventing worms from getting too close, before it exploded outwards, incinerating every last Familiar. Other flames congealed into burning bloodhounds with soulless eyes, and they set off into the under-city, hunting down Zouken's caches across the land to obey their mistress' desire to end a monster that sought to torment her.

Louise watched as Sakura burned every last ounce of Zouken's legacy to ash and cinders. And then he smiled. "…good." He whispered.

* * *

Kariya stormed up to the manor, and hammered away at the door. It had been three days since Sakura had been turned over to the Matou, and he feared the worst. He had only arrived and had heard the Aoi was dead. He had been turned away at the Church, and only his concern for Sakura had prevented him from sneaking into the Church and forcing that bastard Tokiomi to face him. He hammered at the door again, and after several moments, Byakuya opened it for him. "Oh Kariya, it's you." His brother said; before he could say anything more, Kariya barged his way into the manor.

"Where's Sakura?" he immediately demanded.

"…training..." Byakuya replied, much to Kariya's horror.

"Oh my God, Sakura no!" he said, rushing past his brother towards the basement ignoring Byakuya's shouts telling him to wait. "Hang on Sakura, Uncle Kariya's coming!" he shouted…and was brought up short at the sight that greeted him. The pit was empty, the surrounding tunnels collapsed with the exits partly melted as though by fire. It was most likely fire, for the ground, the ceiling, and the surrounding walls were all blackened with ashen silhouettes that spoke of intense flames consuming Familiars without mercy.

"What the…"

"That's why I said wait." Byakuya said, leaning against the door.

"Where's Sakura?"

"Training in the back…" Byakuya replied. "…watch yourself, Kariya. That Louise Cypher fellow is a tough one if he could kill the old worm and teach Sakura tricks that would make her bastard father weep in envy."

* * *

Sakura laughed, enjoying as flames and lightning – her flame and lightning – danced around her. This was completely different from her father and sister's magic. Everything they did seemed so formal, all words and rituals, but her magic was like life itself. It came from her and obeyed her every whim. On a thought, the flame congealed into a cat while the lightning congealed into a dog. The two 'animals' dove at her, pushing her to the ground, and promptly began to rough-house with her. "…Sakura?" a man's voice said out of nowhere, causing her to get distracted and the 'animals' to disappear.

"Now Sakura…" Louise chided her. "…don't forget that your magic is based on concentration. You don't need Prana or Aria or Magic Circuits to do it, but if you get distracted, your magic will fail."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, you are a beginner after all." Louise said before turning to Kariya. "Kariya, wasn't it? I was waiting for you to arrive. Sakura, can you give us some privacy?"

"Okay."

Once the girl had left, Kariya and Louise looked each other over in silence. "So, Byakuya tells me you killed Zouken."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, I actually thank you for that. Otherwise Sakura would have…"

"I know; I barely made it in time too."

"Regarding Sakura…"

"Her mother asked me to ensure that she would live her life freely. And for that she needs power. So I gave her power; power from beyond the World itself."

"You're no man."

"Indeed; but rest assured, I have no ill intentions for Sakura. Whatever she does with her power is entirely up to her."

"And Aoi knew of this?"

"Of course; but she was perfectly willing to give her life for Sakura's sake."

"I see…" Kariya said, wearily sitting down. "…then her sacrifice is not in vain. Zouken is dead, and Sakura has the power to protect herself."

"Not quite; she still needs some more training."

"And you will oversee it?"

"No; she can train herself, once I give her another gift. As for you…"

"What?"

"…you wish to fight Tokiomi Tohsaka, do you not?"

"Nothing would make me happier than to see that bastard burn." Kariya spat angrily. "It was only thanks to him that Aoi was forced to make such a sacrifice."

"True…" Louise conceded with a nod. "…but how far are you willing to go to seek revenge?"

"Sakura's well-being comes first. I don't dare entrust her to my drunkard brother."

"I see…" Louise said, producing a metallic armband, which he presented to Kariya. "…then allow me to give this to you. This will allow you to control and power a Servant even without undergoing magical training. But be warned: you cannot fight a Magus on magical grounds even with this."

"What's the catch?" Kariya countered, refusing to take the offered armband.

Louise smiled. "If you win, I want you to destroy the Holy Grail. It doesn't matter if you don't destroy it if you don't win as long as you defeat Tokiomi. In that case, let's just say seeing him and his…'benefactors' lose is enough for me."

Kariya looked hard at Louise for a long time before finally nodding and taking the offered merchandise. "I accept your terms."

* * *

"Sakura, I have one more gift for you." Louise said, giving the girl a book before prodding her forehead. Immediately, she felt the urge to close her eyes, which she did…but strangely enough, she could still see. "I have given you the ability to see the 'truth' behind the visual world, but opening your eyes will give you powers that are further explained in that book. And let me add a warning: do not allow other Humans apart from yourself to see that book. If one without the ability to comprehend 'truth' sees it, it would drive them mad, among other things."

"Will I see you again, Mr Cypher?"

"Who knows?" Louise said with a faint smile. "But I have high expectations for you, child. I believe that you will change the world when the time comes. And your mother believed in you too. So, believe in yourself, alright?"

"…alright!"

Louise then turned to Kariya. "Well then Kariya, don't forget our arrangement."

"I have no intention of breaking them." Kariya said. "I have an axe to grind after all."

Louise smiled and left the Matou Estate. Truly an interesting pair of Humans, especially the child; he hadn't met anyone like that since Naoki Kashima. As he vanished from that universe, he wondered what future Sakura would eventually choose. Well, whatever her choice, it would most certainly be an interesting one, Humans being Humans after all.

* * *

A/N

Sakura uses demonic magic drawn from beyond the World, so she's exempt from the limits of Nasuverse Magecraft. And while her eyes are always closed, she's not blind. She can still see, and with even greater clarity than with normal sight. Just wait for future chapters (this work's updates will be sporadic) to see the extent of her sight.


End file.
